For those who enjoy being outside throwing a Frisbee, Saturday could be the perfect excuse to get out on a disc golf course — it’s National Disc Golf Day!
The day is celebrated in August to honor the American Flying Disc Open, the first nationwide event for disc golf fans that was held August 4-5, 1974.
National Disc Golf Day was created in 2016 by Minnesota Professional Disc Golf Association State Coordinator Jason Wilder and Sara Nicholson, cofounder of Throw Pink, a nonprofit that hosts disc golf events nationwide with the mission of encouraging women and girls to become more physically active while supporting the fight to end breast cancer.
Disc golf is played much like golf. Instead of a ball and clubs, players use a flying disc, according to the website for the Professional Disc Golf Association.
The sport was formalized in the 1970s and shares with golf the object of completing each hole in the fewest strokes or, in the case of disc golf, the fewest throws. A disc is thrown from a tee area to the hole, which usually is an elevated metal basket.
Whether you’re a veteran who has played the game hundreds of times or someone who is interested in trying it for the first time, here are six disc golf courses across the Greater Columbus to try.
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Located inside Hoover Reservoir Park at 4151 Central College Road, Brent Hambrick Memorial is a free, full-length, 27-hole championship course with a mix of wooded and open areas. The Westerville course features large concrete tee pads with double tee and pin placements on several holes, according to the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department.
Located inside Blendon Woods Metro Park at 4265 E. Dublin Granville Road, the Westerville disc golf course was installed in 1985 after moving from Highbanks Metro Park, according to the course’s website. Appealing to both beginners and advanced players, the free course has 18 holes, with several concrete tee pads, deluxe tee signs and a large warm-up area featuring three baskets.
Located on the Ohio State University campus at 1992 Kenny Road, the free, 1,518-yard course includes 18 holes. The OSU course is more suitable for intermediate players, according to Experience Columbus.
Discs are available for checkout at Fred Beekman Park (2200 Carmack Road), the Jesse Owens Tennis Center West (1031 Carmack Road) and the Adventure Recreation Center (855 Woody Hayes Drive), according to the Ohio State website.
The free,18-hole course is located in West Columbus near Upper Arlington at 2933 Riverside Drive. Set in a forested area, the course features large concrete tee pads and views of the Scioto River at holes 8, 17 and 18, according to Columbus Recreation and Parks.
For those in need of equipment, there are nearby stores Disc Golf Mart (1971 Riverside Drive) and Frank’s Marathon (3116 Riverside Drive).
The Veterans Memorial Disc Golf Course is located inside Roger A. Reynolds Municipal Park at 3800 Veterans Memorial Drive in Hilliard. Renovated in 2020, the original nine-hole course has expanded to 18 holes and features a mix of open, wooden and water holes. There is no cost to play at the course.
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For those who don’t mind driving out to Plain City, Glacier Ridge Metro Park has its own free disc golf course. The 6,000-foot course, located at 9801 Hyland-Croy Road, features 18 holes, including six in the woods and 12 in mostly open fields. The course is open year-round and has a mix of short and long tees, with several holes over 400 feet, according to the park’s website.
ThisWeek Reporter A. Kevin Corvo contributed to this report.
Micah Walker is the Dispatch trending reporter. Reach her at mwalker@dispatch.com or 740-251-7199. Follow her on Twitter @micah_walker701.
